192 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



of Commons was appointed in 1 885, " to consider whether, by the 

 establishment of a Forest School or otherwise, our Woodlands 

 could be made more remunerative." 



This Select Committee on Forestry sat in 1885, 188G, and 

 1887, and had full power to send for persons, papers, and 

 records, so that the investigation might be as complete and 

 exhaustive as possible. After due deliberation, the Committee 

 proceeded to collect evidence by the examination of educa- 

 tional experts, and of a selected number of other witnesses 

 possessed of a more or less practical knowledge of the suV)ject of 

 inquiry. Thirty-one witnesses were examined, most of them at 

 considerable length, during the eight days on which evidence 

 was taken. They fairly represented the various interests involved 

 in the question in each of the three kingdoms, and among 

 them were the following ten distingi;ished members of this 

 Society : — Sir James Campbell, Bart. ; Sir Richard Temple, Bart.; 

 Sir Joseph D. Hooker ; Dr Cleghorn of Stravithie ; Mr Robert 

 Dundas of Arniston ; General Michael ; Mr Alexander Mackenzie; 

 Mr John M'Gregor; Mr William M'Corquodale ; and Mr John 

 Grant Thomson ; so that the Society was amply represented before 

 the Committee, It is, however, to Dr Cleghorn that the credit is 

 due of pointing out to the Committee, in the course of his evidence 

 in 1885, the aims and objects of the Society, and the good work 

 which it has done in promoting the better training of foresters, 

 in spreading a knowledge of improved methods of forestry, and 

 in stimulating an interest among landowners and others con- 

 cerned, in the proper treatment of our woodlands, and of the 

 importance of forest teaching as a great national desideratum. 

 Mr John M'Gregor also gave information as to the work of the 

 Society when examined in 1887; and much useful and practical 

 evidence, bearing dii-ectly on the question of inquiiy, was fur- 

 nished to the Committee by the other members of this Society. 



Having received all the evidence which they considered neces- 

 sary, and matured their deliberations, the Forestry Committee 

 agreed to a Report, which was issued by Parliament on the 

 3d of August 1887, in which they declared themselves satisfied 

 by the evidence, " that the establishment of Schools of Forestry, 

 or some similar method of instruction and examination in 

 Forestry, would be desirable." With the view of carrying this 

 into elTect, the Committee recommended the creation by the 

 Government of a Forest Board ; and we are led to believe that 



